"A DAGUERREOTYPE! -- There it lies in its case among old papers, letters and curios. A frail encasement of wood covered with black embossed paper. We cannot resist the temptation to open it and glance at it. The clasp is loose; the old case almost falls apart. A weird tapestry-effect on the inside of the lid greets our eye, and opposite it is a gray blurred image set in a gilded frame with an oval or circular opening."